We're as excited as anyone for the Oculus Rift, but we're also interested in other hardware that comes to market this year. Will consumers be willing to wait until early next year for Facebook's VR headset, or will they choose to invest in a product with an earlier launch date?

Reporters' notebook: The annual technology, film and music confab showed us that brands have money to blow, and a tiny app can still make a name for itself when the tech industry converges on Austin, Texas.